Today's upgraded networks based on the Internet protocol (IP) allow telecommunication providers to offer not only voice and data, but also video services known as IP television, or IPTV. However, its deployment can bring challenges for existing laws and regulations. Broadcasting and telecommunications are converging, but to which of these does IPTV belong? Various approaches have been taken to this question, ranging from simply not classifying IPTV, to defining it as a regulated broadcasting service. Or, some services offered over IPTV platforms are seen as broadcasting, but not others. In the United States, for example, IPTV has yet to be classified, although the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has addressed barriers to its deployment. A technology-neutral approach has been adopted by countries such as Canada, where IPTV is seen as a broadcast distribution technology for television programming, and companies are licensed accordingly. In Singapore, "broadcasting" includes the IP transmission of any television programmes - scheduled channels or video on demand (VoD).
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